SCHWINN STEALTH 1000 ELECTRIC SCOOTER

Just thought maybe someone might be interested in how I modified my 2006 stealth 1000 scooter so that it would be practical for my needs. This scooter is my only means of mobility and shopping means, so I needed to add storage compartments. Also since I ride in all kinds of weather, I needed to keep water off me and the scooter, so I made the fenders shown. For safety sake I also added a locking electrical switch so scooter can not operate when switch is off.Since I took this picture I modified the lock holder to make it 3/4" shorter. I realy would be lost without my scooter. http://jaybgood.com/dad/schwinn.jpg

I have the 2007 one. With front disc brake too. I did a speed mod today. I ditched the 10AH 36 volt and bought 4 7.5aH 12V to make 48V. Now it's a speed demon. A little mishap while i wired all together though. copper wire shorted between 2SLA while i was holding on to it. So there's a huge gash of burn mark running down my left index finger. Lol nostalgic smell of me burning ants with magnifier as a kids. Don't they sell basket for it? Using those tupperware doesn't look really appealing. Can you post a guide on that lock switch. Look like a great idea.

You might try some Krylon "Fusion" paint for those boxes. It now comes in many colors and is specifically made for plastic. It works really well and you could add that final touch of style and refinement to an already excellent scooter.

:) Got a Schwinn Stealth 1000 electric scooter at Sams Club. Worked GREAT, even at the altitude where I am in Colorado Springs, Colorado (6,000 ft).

BUT ....Like I have read about many who have purchased that scooter, the battery life is extremely brief.

Can I get some recommendations for where to get replacement batteries. 48v would be great to get up those hills in the thin air, but I need to get the batteries replaced and I do not know of a good source.

if you over volt that direct drive set up, it usually doesn't hold up well. the clutch system is what will fail. That scooter also has a bad reputation for its battery use. Part of the problem is that is doesn't freewheel. You may want to try and modify the box to fit 3 larger batteries, or go with a higher quality battery like a B&B in the stock size.

I have almost stopped recommending LIFEPO4 batteries until Ping battery gets his relatively affordable decent ones back on the market late Summer. A 36V 20AH Lifepo4 would get you 15-20 miles on that scooter.

I have a 2006 Stealth and have modified much of it. It is the chain type so I put a freewheel on the rear with a new 80 tooth sprocket for more speed. This fixed the controller tripping. I put an oil guard on the motor plate so the lube on the chain does not get on your back after oiling. I made 3 battery packs from batteries I got from the local Electronic Surplus store here in Manchester, NH. The batteries were 9AH and were $10 each. I made a "Y" battery cable so I can use two battery packs at the same time. I attach the second pack to the deck with long hose clamps. This gives me great range and speed. I am working on a cruise control right now.

I have found that with the cost of maintenance on the chain and sprockets, this scooter really doesn't save me any money. I go through a chain and small sprocket about every 4 months with regular use. Which can buy enough gas to go the same distance. I just put new tires on after two seasons. I only ride in the summer here when it's not raining so this scooter doesn't get a lot of use. It is great though at the beach when I can park out where it's free and scooter in to the shore. I get ???? all the time about how far and fast it goes. I think electric transportation may get more popular with rising gas costs.
-Tom

Hi Martin Thanks for your comments. I didn't like the idea of always having to lock up my scooter with a cable lock while I did my shopping, so I decided to make a locking switch. I picked up a keyed switch on e bay for 7.00. The outside shell was threaded and had a mounting nut. I took the lock assembly to my local hardware store and checked the pvc fittings to see what was the smallest size that the lock assembly would fit inside. You need a plastic cap ( mine was not flat, It worked fine)large enough for the mounting nut fit inside. You will need a short piece of pipe. also a Plastic Tee. The first thing I did was to open up a hole in the end cap so the lock shell would fit in to it from the outside. I attached 2 (36")leads to the terminals on the lock and tightened the mounting nut to the end cap. I split (sawed) the Tee so I could using a heat gun open up bottom of tee so it would fit down tube that switch is on. I mounted my switch high on down tube so I had lots of room. This part was sort of tough as I didn't have any help. Once the tee was spread out so it fits good mark a spot on the down tube to feed wires down inside down tube to controller. If you are satisfied with location, drill 5/16 hole for leads.Debur hole. Also mount tee I used pop rivets Now is a good time to figure how long a piece of pipe you will need. I'm guesing not over 1 1/2" as you want to have end cap as near the tee as possible when all is done. I would not assemble the plastic fittings untill I finished the wiring. Unplug battery pack. Take a piece (30") of solid wire attach it to the leads and feed down through the short plastic pipe, through the hole you drilled till you find it at bottom of dowm tube. Once you have the leads down by the controller remove the wire you used to pull leads. You should have lots of extra wire. Now the wiring; I used the brake feed wire that comes from the switch on the brake lever. Follow the wiring from switch till it comes through battery box and goes to controller. you will need to bare each of the 2 wires so you can make a connection to each the leads from the keyed switch. One lead to each
of the wires, from brake switch. Be careful here either solder using shrink tubing for insulation or use terminals. I soldered mine as there wasn't much room. Once everything is insulated, you can re attach battery pack. The brake switch is a nornally open switch and closes when brake is applied. So you need to see in what position the new switch needs to be in to turn of power to controller. What the keyed switch is doing is keeping controller from powering scooter as long as switch is in closed position. I do not know if there is any problem of using this method. I have had my lock in use 2 years and it works fine.Once you have the keyed switch in correct position you need to use PVC cement and fit fittingd together. keeno

I just got a Stealth 1000 on ebay (new in box but a 2007 and batteries lasted less than 5 short trips so I assume they were more than a year old). Do any of you buy batteries online, where, and what's a good price? MonsterScooterparts has them for $120 plus $26 shipping. Does anyone know if Batteries Plus carries them and if they're any good. Any info would be greatly appreciated.
Pat

Get 12v 12ah batteries and run 48ah. Or do like I've done to my girlfriends and buy 2 36v packs and parallel them. Gives you great distance.

Tireiron55,

Thanks so much for your reply.
Something I must tell you is that I am not a mechanic.

On the Stealth 1000, having 12ah batteries in the ST1000 should give some more pep. I am just concerned about the scooter and its controller's ability to handle the batteries without further modification.

Wouldn't I need a different charger than the OEM charger that came with the Scooter ?

How did you parallel 2 36v packs and parallel them ?

Are you using a new "sack" to put the batteries into ??

I believe there is something in the scooter the minimizes its power? How can that be overridden ??
I would assume that it would have to be.

For either the upgrade from a triple 12v 10ah to a 12v 12ah or an upgrade to a double 36v battery pack, wouldn't I have to upgrade several items on the ST1000. Like the controller, charger, the wiring harness and other items ??

More distance would be great, but have more power and endurance to handle the drain on using a scooter in a thin air, high altitude environment would be very important.

1. The 12ah batteries won't give you any more pep unless you run 48v. The controller limits the amps. Amps = Pep. The stock controller will handle 48v just fine. You'll have to flip the switch a few times to get it to turn on, but it will turn on.
2. You will need a new charger unless you just run 3 12ah batteries. 36v total is simply 36v, all 36v chargers should work.
3. I took two stock Stealth battery packs and stacked them on top of each other. I used an adapter I made that looks like a Y. Two packs in, and one voltage out. It really works great. I recommend it to anyone looking for more range. You get to use the same charger and it's very simple.
4. I used two of the stock sacks. You could custom make one, but I don't think it's worth it.
5. The controller limits power. You can't change it, but you don't have to if you run 2 36v packs or 48v.
6. Yes. Any 122v 12ah batteries will work.
7. You don't have to upgrade anything. Just put the batteries in and you're off. Fun fun.

I live in the Appalachian Mountains. Yeah, these upgrades are a must of those of us dealing with the hills. I'm just at 1000ft, but it feels like a lot more when it's constant up and down.

Hey Tireiron55, did you ever look for something to replace the black plastic battery compartment cover? As I was looking at your scooter, I was just wondering if you couldn't get a plastic storage bin or something and turn it upside down to protect the batteries a little better...

I'm following in Tireiron55's footsteps in going to 60 volts in a Stealth, but I'm taking advantage of the high ground clearnce and going down intead of up. I have a friend bending me a 15" by 6" sheet metal pan with 1 3/4" high sides and 1/2" flanges around the edge. According to my measurements, that should allow me to cut a 15" by 6" hole in the bottom of the existing battery pan, drop this pan in and secure the flanges and then just barely fit 5 batteries and a 48V controller into the resulting deeper pan. It's going to be a tight fit side-to-side, but I think it's just doable and then I can keep my deck from getting any higher.

Hello,
My two boys have Schwinn Stlalth 1000 scooters. Lots of fun. One is making a grinding noise that sounds like rocks being thrown around in a metal box when he tries to go forward. Do I need to replace the entire wheel assembly - he needs a new tire anyway or is ther a better way to address this? I have found a wheel assembly, motor, wheel, brake, etc. for about $170.

Is the sound a regular, periodic noise or more like a randomly-timed sound? how would you describe it? a clink, thunk, tick, etc?
i get a periodic tick when traveling at constant speed but it goes away when I speed up or slow down, so I figure I just need to clean out the grease and oil up the gears one of these days....

More than likely you need the entire rear, sadly. I'm in the same boat you are. I'll buy your wheel and motor from you though to help pay for the assembly. I'll buy the broken transmission too. I might be able to use some of the gears. Just replace it as soon as possible so it doesn't completely eat the gears up, otherwise it's worthless.

it is a constant, loud grinding noise coming from teh gear box. i thought it was the brake rubbing on the disc so i tool the brake off and it still makes noise like a bunch of rocks in a coffee grinder......

You need a new gearbox. Email Currie to see if they'll sell you just the gearbox. I doubt they will. Even if you can get just the gearbox, please sell me the broken one. That goes to everyone who has a broken Stealth trans too. I've got various parts that I need spare to repair my Stealths, and I need more gearboxes. Not all the gears can go at once. I've replaced two of the gears in mine main one, but one is still good. I do need the gear thats on the motor. I had a spare off a blown motor, but I can't find it. I'll take a blown motor too if anyone has it. I just want the gear though. I ran mine for too long without replacing anything and it really pooped itself. I broke something around 6 teeth.

Hey everyone, Im new to this website and I actually purchased a set of keenono1's amazing fenders from ebay. They are amazing I highly recommend them to everyone. They are an amazing value and work perfect, they really make the scooter look alot cooler. Im also interested in the locking switch. Is there anyway somebody can make one and send it too me? I would be willing to pay extra for labor. I also have a couple of questions about my scooters performance. I want to know how i can increase the speed, without making it look ugly, or any different than it is.

I have seen a few of those kill switch sets on ebay with little keyless remotes for under $25. I'm thinking about getting one and wiring it up. It is most likely an easy install. Has anyone else seen these around? The scooter looks nice by the way but the tupper has to go. I have also seen some pretty cool slash cheap saddle bag type sets on ebay. I am working on a Ferrari themed scoot and will post as soon as I get it moving. Yes it is gonna be a little Zappy model but I am gonna give it some flair. I will let you all see it. I promise.

__________________

Some say he was forged out of steel and fire in the devil’s own pit garage,
or that he trickled to the surface of an oil pocket deep in the Earth’s crust.
All we know is, he’s called the Stig.

I upgraded my batteries to 17ah - two of them will fit in the tray perfectly, and the third goes below the seat. A length of aluminum "L" holds it up (so as not to interfere with opening the lid), a rubber foot at each end of the aluminum ledge keeps it centered, and rubber strap keeps it in place. Works great and doesn't get in the way of my feet. See photos.

I'm also looking to fix my Stealth. It started doing the same thing as the rocks in the coffee grinder noise. I'm opening up the gearbox tonight to see if it's salvageable. If not, I'll probably end up getting a new rear assembly. BUT, my big question is, has anyone had any luck converting these 2006-07 Stealths to Chain drive instead of Direct? Any info you could share on how you did it would be awesome. Or, what would I need to convert it? Thanks!

Hey guys, I have been riding my Stealth for 3 years. I bought my 2nd one 6 months ago. What I did was to buy an extra 36 volt battery pack from te dealer and sit it on top of the platform and then when the red LED came on, I would switch out the low one and connect the fully charged one to get home. I have read how other people here find that extra battery pack sitting on top to be more uncomfortable for your legs, so I rised the seat higher to compensate. I was thinking of placing a 36 or 48 volt solar panel on a sheet of steel or thin plywood and attached it to the rear, so when te sun is out, it helps to keep the batteries topped off when I am at the beach or not near an AC outlet. But the added weight and size may not make this idea practical. Also, I was wondering if anyone can help me with this idea? I have an extra 1000 watt stealth motor assy and would like to find a way to attach it so I can run 2000 watts of power. I would use my spare 36 volt battery pack to run it. I do not care about long distance as much as being able to climb steep hills for closer trips. I live in San Francisco with lots of steep hills. Anyone know how to attatch it? Maybe to the front wheel?
Thanks for any help!

I like the idea of carrying a spare 36V pack. If the first one can get you "out there", the second one should get you home! A little inconvenient to swap them, but not too bad. When you raised your seat, did the handlebars seem too low?

The solar panel idea has been kicked around here a little. From the forum posts I've read, it seems that you will not get enough power from a portable solar panel set-up to make this worthwhile. It's a great concept though. Maybe someday technology will solve that problem too.

The Schwinn motor/gearbox/wheel assembly is not a very good candidate for mods, in my opinion. Having two on the same scooter is an interesting idea. But, I can't see any way to put two motors on the rear wheel. If you try to put one on the front, you'd have to check if the distance between the rear drop-outs on the swing arm is the same as the distance between the front drop-outs on the fork. If they were identical (not likely - but it's too cold in Denver for me to go out and measure mine), you would still need to fabricate a suitable motor mount. The stock forks are not very robust. Less than 1/2 inch of travel and you would be adding a good bit of unsprung weight. If you WERE successful in getting it all mechanically doable, you would still have the issue of getting both motors to run the same speed so they are not wasting electricity fighting each other. Remember, there are no freewheels anywhere in a Stealth drive.

An easier alternative that would give you better hill-climbing, is a PowerPack motor and controller. That would require a conversion to chain drive on the rear. But you would have many more options for gear ratios by changing sprockets. You could probably find just the right balance between the torque that you need, and the top end that you will be happy with. Sorry, we can't have it both ways.

The PowerPack could be used with either 36V or 48V. I have a brand-new one in the box waiting to go on my S750 (2006) which is nearly identical to the Stealth except the S750 has a factory chain drive. I'm going to run at 48V and put (4) 12V 20Ah SLA's crosswise and standing upright in the stock battery tray. I'm planning to add footpegs and actually lower the seat. I'm going to change those very uncomfortable handlebars as well. Two of your 36V 10Ah packs equal 720 Watt-hours. One pack of 48V 20Ah would give you 960 Watt-hours. If you don't mind riding high, you could put a foot plate on top of the 4 batteries and still ride it like you do now with the 2 packs stacked.

Have you considered a controller with regen capability? It would not work with your stock brushed motor, but if you upgraded to a PowerPack brushless, you might find a compatible controller with regeneration that would give you a little juice back when you coasted down those steep hills. They're not ALL uphill, are they? Would also save lots of wear and tear on your brakes. I don't know if a controller like that exists that would work with the PP Motor. It also may not be practical for a scooter as light as yours.

There are some other SF riders on here. They could give you better ideas on how to tackle the hills. What about it, guys?

It's pretty flat here in Denver so hill-climbing ability has never been my first priority. Today, my priority would be for studded snow tires and maybe chains. A heated cab would be nice, too!